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Background
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Seminaries
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Centrifuge is the name of a series of Christian summer camps for children, youth, and young adults centered on Bible study, worship, missions work, and recreational activities. It is sponsored by LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention.
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Since 1979 Centrifuge has been the official youth camp of the Southern Baptist Convention. What started out as a few weeks of camp sponsored by the Baptist Sunday School Board (now LifeWay Christian Resources) turned into a youth ministry movement.
Centrifuge camps are unique in that there is not a central camp facility where the program is conducted. Instead, teams of staffers are based at various colleges and retreat centers across the United States. Student-campers are usually housed in college dormitories or convention-style hotel rooms.
Because of this decentralized approach, Centrifuge staffs -- usually about 20-30 college students and recent college graduates -- are able to reach students across the United States.
LifeWay Christian Resources states that since the beginning of the ministry, over 1,000,000 people have experienced Centrifuge and its associated camps.
Centrifuge camps are open to students in the 7-12 grade range and college students. They are centered around the youth groups of Christian churches, particularly (though not exclusively) Baptist churches. The camps offer a "staff who does the work so that your youth staff are free to deepen their relationships with both students and God."
The Centrifuge experience includes:
Though Centrifuge camps vary slightly at each location due to differences in personnel and available facilities, a typical day at Centrifuge would include: (Official Schedule from 2011 Centrifuge at Ridgecrest)
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 7:00 a.m. | Breakfast/Quiet Time [1] [2] |
| 8:15 a.m. | A.M. Show [3] (Dismiss at 8:45) |
| 9:00 a.m. | Recreation [4](Dismiss at 10:15) |
| 10:30 a.m. | Bible Study |
| 11:45 AM: | Lunch |
| 1:30 p.m. | Track Rally [5] |
| 1:45p.m. | Track A [6] |
| 2:45 p.m. | Track Rally |
| 3:00p.m. | Track B |
| 4:00 p.m. | Hang Time (Free Time) |
| 5:30 PM | Dinner |
| 7:00 PM | Worship [7] |
| 8:30 p.m. | Church-group devotion [8] |
| 9:45 p.m. | Night life [9] |
| 10:30 p.m. | Hang Time |
| 11:00 p.m. | In rooms |
| 11:30 p.m. | Lights out |
In Summer 2006, there were Centrifuge camps located:
| 2011 | Connect |
| 2010 | Kairos: Defining Moments |
| 2009 | Move |
| 2008 | Kilimanjaro |
| 2007 | The Underground |
| 2006 | Thrill Ride |
| 2005 | Masterpiece |
| 2004 | Driven |
| 2003 | It's All About Me |
| 2002 | Reel Life |
| 2001 | Virtual Reality |
| 2000 | Face to Face |
| 1999 | Whatever... ya gotta gotta love |
| 1998 | Expedition |
| 1997 | Extreme |
| 1996 | Our World Your Serve |
| 1995 | Major League |
| 1994 | Keys 4 U |
| 1993 | Reach The Peak |
| 1992 | Decision |
| 1991 | Myth or Message |
| 1990 | Impact |
| 1989 | Good News for Fast Times |
| 1988 | Carry On |
| 1987 | On Track |
| 1986 | Glory! |
| 1985 | The Adventure Begins |
| 1984 | ?? |
| 1983 | ?? |
| 1982 | New Frontiers |
| 1981 | ?? |
| 1980 | ?? |
| 1979 | Glory! |
M-Fuge originally started in 1996 and was the second Centrifuge spin-off. M-Fuge takes the traditional Centrifuge structure and reorients it toward mission work. Instead of offering classes and recreation during the day, those activities are replaced with missions work like building homes for Habitat for Humanity and serving meals at soup kitchens or homeless shelters. Students also have the opportunity to minister by facilitating games and other recreation at local apartment complexes or Boys and Girls Clubs; visiting assisted-living facilities and nursing homes; and doing yard work for the elderly and other needy people. M-Fuge is open to students in grades 7-12 and college students.
CentriKid originally started in 2000. This Centrifuge spin-off takes the Centrifuge structure and repackages it for students in grades 3-6, with less emphasis on invitations to Christian discipleship and more emphasis on teaching fundamental concepts of the Christian faith. Otherwise, the experiences are very similar.
Crosspoint originally started in 1986. It was the first Centrifuge spin off. Crosspoint is designed to combine the structure of Centrifuge with the sports-skills teaching of the traditional sports daycamp. The programming -- and sports instruction -- is designed for students in grades 4-8. 2009 was the last year LifeWay ran a kids' camp by the name "Crosspoint." All the sports once included in the Crosspoint have now been implemented in LifeWay's Centri-Kid camp.
Begun in 2005, X-Fuge takes the general template of a normal Centrifuge camp and removes many of the traditional "summer camp" aspects, like assemblies and structured classes ("track times") and reorients the experience toward a Christian retreat: spiritual formation is conducted through worship experiences and optional missions work, but leisure activities, such as swimming or sunbathing on the beach, are more prominent. X-Fuge also features "X-Parties", where Christian rock bands host pseudo-concerts.